Howard Lake vs Waverly Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Waverly Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Howard Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Wright County, Minnesota.
Howard Lake and Waverly Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The grades are close: Howard Lake (D) and Waverly Lake (C) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
With grades this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Howard Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft.
Waverly Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Howard Lake | Waverly Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 4 ft | 6.9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 57 µg/L | 29 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 21.2 µg/L | 8 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 39 ft | 70.5 ft |
| Surface Area | 745 acres | 494 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 | 17 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Waverly Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Howard Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 6.9 ft vs 4 ft. For fishing diversity, Waverly Lake also leads with 17 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.